clarakatalin

The Ohio Difference

It’s almost four years now, since we moved from the south San Francisco Bay Area in California, to Ohio. It’s been a challenge, mostly emotionally, but I think well worth it. Some observations on the differences are noted below.

The biggest for me: WEATHER. While the Bay Area climate is quite mellow, a Mediterranean climate, here in Ohio the weather constantly changes. In the Bay Area I could garden almost all year. I could go for pleasant walks most of the year. I suppose in Ohio I can go for pleasant walks in the winter, but It’s more difficult with multiple layers of clothes, and sometimes ice.

CLOUDS: In Ohio, the clouds are amazing, almost every time they appear, which is often. Absolutely stunning at times.

CHIGGERS: In the Bay Area, I didn’t have to worry about almost-invisible chiggers (or maybe they are no-see-ums). I dread going out the backyard, where they seem very happy to congregate, in warmer weather. I have numerous methods to deal with them, including bug spray with peppermint, and showering immediately after a stint in the garden. Otherwise, it’s an itchy prospect.

CICADAS: Now these are midwest bugs I can deal with. You can see them, they don’t bite or cause an itch, and generally leave you alone. They appear in May and wind down in mid-June. Yes, they buzz all day, but I don’t mind it.

COST OF LIVING: Much cheaper in Ohio. I estimate that the house we have now would cost ten times as much in our old neighborhood.

FREEWAY ON-RAMPS: In California, a simple on-ramp (not merging into an off ramp) is marked at the left with dashed lines, which *disappear* at about the point when the combined width of the on-ramp and the lane to the left is about a lane-and-a-half wide. In Ohio, the dashed lines for simple on-ramps just continue until they contact the right edge of the road.

FRIENDLINESS / HELPFULNESS: People seem friendlier than in the Bay Area. It could be because we’re in a less densely populated place. Once (but this is nearby Kentucky), we were driving home at night and pulled over because I couldn’t find my cell phone. Almost immediately, a truck stopped behind us, and two men came up and asked if we needed help. I realize that something far less pleasant could have happened, but it was an encouraging experience.

FENCES: In our old Bay Area neighborhood, just about everyone had a six-foot tall fence around their back yard, some even taller. In our current neighborhood, we have a six-foot fence in the back, but there are only one or two other families around, one of which I know to be California transplants like us, who have something similar. Most people have no fencing, invisible dog fencing, what’s called a Kentucky board fence, or a split rail fence.

“UC”: Does not mean “University of California,” but “University of Cincinnati”.